Family
by Gothic984
Summary: It has been nearly one year since Caleb Temple's birthday and the tragedy of that night, with his eleventh birthday approaching Gail is trying to make the day special for him. In the meantime, Caleb is trying to deal with his feelings and nightmares surrounding his upcoming birthday.
1. Chapter 1

It was a hot summers evening in Trinity, South Carolina and Caleb Temple was riding his new bicycle down the street not far from his farm house. His birthday was in a weeks time and his cousin Gail had bought the bike as an early birthday present. Caleb was excited for whatever surprises that his sister and cousin had planned for him, he was used to just a small cake; however, this year his cousin was in town and she had promised to spoil him, so far she had not disappointed him and he was delighted with his early birthday gift.

Caleb smiled as he saw his sister Merlyn-Ann walking in the distance, with her long brown hair trailing across her shoulders and her school books under her arm. He rode towards her but she had not seen him coming, so he discreetly placed his bike to the side of a car and hid behind a tree that she was approaching. When she was about to pass he jumped out at her and she screamed out in shock, dropping her school books.

'Caleb Temple! I swear one of these days your going to scare me to death...come here!' she yelled and tried to grab him.

'Never!' he called and ran playfully away from her. Caleb turned a corner and hid underneath a car, trying to stifle his giggles when he heard his sister calling for him.

'I'm gonna find you Caleb and when I do there'll be hell to pay' Merlyn called, trying to locate him behind bushes and trees.

Caleb risked a glance from under the car and quickly moved back to his position, when he saw Merlyn approaching from around the corner. When he was sure that she had passed his hiding place, he slid out quietly and started to tip toe behind her, with the aim of making her jump again. He had no doubt that she would likely hit him when she caught him; however, he could not resist scaring his sister twice in the space of 5 minutes. When he was positioned perfectly behind her he grabbed her shoulders, spun her around and yelled 'Boo!'

Merlyn turned around and stared silently at him with blood running down her face. Caleb screamed at the sight of his sisters full body covered in blood. 'Wake up Caleb' she whispered.

'Caleb...' she whispered again.

'Caleb, wake up!' Gail shouted concerned, shaking him awake.

Caleb awoke covered in sweat and breathing heavy. He was shocked to see his cousin in his bedroom, with her hands gripping his shoulders. 'What happened?' he asked confused.

Gail hugged her only living relative and kissed him reassuringly on the forehead. 'I came over to take you to school, but you weren't downstairs so I came up here to wake you. Caleb you were hysterical, screaming and thrashing in your bed. Are you ok?' she asked, clearly worried.

Caleb took a deep breath to try to steady his heart rate. He had been waking abruptly from bad dreams all week, but he had not told Gail as he knew she would worry. 'I'm fine cous'' he lied and tried to force a reassuring smile.

Gail looked at her cousin knowingly, she often suffered from bad dreams and knew the signs. Caleb clearly did not want to talk about what was going on; however, she was convinced it was to do with the horrors he had experienced last year, with his birthday being only a week away. Gail was no stranger to the stress that came with tragedy and could still barely stomach a forth of July celebration, due to her parents death's and the mental scars she had.

She would make sure she kept a watchful eye on him and help him however she could, but for now it was important that Caleb kept to his usual routine to make sure he was not consumed by his troubles. If depression began to fester in him, Gail worried that it would be hard to pull him back with the amount of death and loss that he had suffered.

Gail gave her cousin another hug and pulled him out of bed. 'Come on, your going to be late for school'

Caleb playfully protested then signalled for his cousin to leave so he could get dressed.

* * *

Gail walked out of her cousins classroom agitated, after taking the blame for Caleb's lateness with Miss Coombs. Selena had scolded her in front of Caleb's class mates and she had to endure a lecture on the importance of ensuring that her cousin was in school on time; however, at least Caleb was in the clear over it. She approached her mustang and sat on the car bonnet for a moment to gather her composure, when she heard the familiar smooth southern voice behind her.

'Well, well darlin', I'm surprised you arrived at school late when you crept out of bed so early this morning. Problems?' Lucas asked and approached Gail with two cups of coffee in his hand.

Gail sighed and took one of the cups that he offered. 'Not now Lucas, not after the lecture I've just endured'

Lucas smiled seductively, 'have you been a bad girl, Miss Emory?'

Gail rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee, this was not the time or the place to get into one of these playful discussions. She had been spending her nights with Lucas on and off for the past month since her initial visit with her old friend Matt, so this intrusion was of her own doing for not making her boundaries clear. She had stood her ground and not slept with Lucas, believing they could keep their relationship casual and so far that was working. Gail knew how stupid she was for even contemplating any kind of relationship with this man; however, she had found it was less hassle to just give in to her urges now and again. It also meant that he did not show up unexpectedly as much, as he knew he would have her attention most nights.

Lucas placed himself beside her on the mustang and stroked her arm, before leaning down and tenderly kissing her shoulder. Gail would have pulled away if she had thought there was even a slight possibility of anyone seeing them; however, as Selena had pointed out, every other parent had dropped their children off on time, so the school car park was empty and she was too preoccupied with being worried about Caleb to be concerned with Lucas right now.

'What's there to be worried about darlin'?' Lucas asked, reading her mind. 'Is your cousin having more behavioural issues in class?'

Gail shot an irritated glance at Lucas. She had tried to forget that Caleb was his son as the thought made her feel nauseous, but every now and again Lucas would make a comment that reminded her. 'What I worry about in relation to my cousin is none of your business Sheriff...' she said candidly then took another sip of her coffee, '... and if you want a spy to watch Caleb you should think of shacking back up with his school teacher.'

Lucas feigned a hurt look and brushed away a stray strand of hair from Gail's cheek. 'Whoa there darlin', I'm only trying to help. Why don't we get outta here and go somewhere more private so I can help you relax? If you hadn't have sneaked out so early, I could've put you in a better mood for your day ahead'

Although Gail had accepted the nightly visits from Lucas recently, she still felt the same shame and anger with herself that she always seemed to feel after their encounters. She knew she was a grown woman and should either accept her actions or end it for good, but it seemed easier to sneak out most mornings and avoid dealing with the situation.

Gail hopped off the car bonnet and started to move towards the drivers side of the car, she was starting to get that familiar feeling which came just before her body betrayed her to this man's will and decided this would be the perfect time to leave. 'As inviting as that sounds, I don't need your help Lucas. Besides, I've got a lot to do today' she lied.

Before she could open the car door, Lucas was behind her. He gently moved her hair away from her shoulders to allow his lips access to her neck and placed his hand on the car door to prevent her from getting in. Gail turned around, trying to ignore the warmth that was creeping up through her body and the urge to embrace him. She placed her hands on his chest in an attempt to push him away and create some distance between them, but her hands betrayed her and instead she stroked his chest and let her hands travel down to his waste.

Lucas smiled triumphantly and leaned in for a kiss. Gail began to lean forward, yearning for his lips to be on hers, then a sudden flash of light shot threw her brain and brought her back to her senses. She tensed, put her hands back on his chest and pushed him away with more force than she had intended. 'Not here Lucas' she said, giving herself a mental shake and proceeded to get into the drivers seat of her car.

Lucas stared at her with agitation and confusion. 'Did I miss something darlin'?'

Gail was confused herself over what had just happened; however, she was thankful that something had stopped her from committing an inappropriate act in her cousins school parking lot. She cursed herself for nearly losing control, started the car engine and rolled down the window. 'I've got to go Lucas, I'll be busy all today and possibly tonight but I'll call if anything changes' she said and drove away.

Lucas, left standing in the deserted parking lot alone, was seething. He had tried to search Gail's mind to find some clarity of what had stopped his fun but he seemed to be blocked. Lucas took a deep breath to regain his composure and shook off his frustration, after all it was his son's birthday in a weeks time and he needed to plan something memorable for the boy.

* * *

Merlyn-Ann Temple sat invisible in the back seat of Gail's red mustang, contemplating her next actions. She had tried to appear to Caleb on a number of occasions but something was warding her away, it took her over a month to realise that her cousin Gail had been sensing the signs she had left for her brother and when the realisation became clear, she had decided to try to reach out to Gail; however, Merlyn was not sure whether Gail would be susceptible to her advances.

Merlyn was unsure of her cousin, on one hand she wanted to protect Caleb from Lucas Buck; on the other hand she had given herself to the man, which gave him the opportunity to manipulate her. Merlyn respected that Gail would not knowingly allow Lucas to use her to get closer to Caleb, but she was disappointed that Gail continued to have relations with the man who had raped and impregnated Merlyns mother. Although she was unsure of her cousin, she felt the urge to protect her.

From what she had observed, Lucas and Gail were drawn to each other. Her cousin was clearly in denial over this fact but Lucas had seemed to accept it and was pushing for them to get together whenever he had the opportunity. Merlyn was suspicious of Lucas's motives and was intrigued as to why he was so interested in Gail. She did not like to get close to any of their encounters; however, recently she had taken great pride in derailing Lucas's plans, she had even found a way to cloud Gail's mind so he could not read certain things. It helped that her cousin was strong willed and could block her thoughts if she tried, Merlyn had just provided a little extra internal guidance to enable those skills to be used.

At this moment in time Merlyn decided that she would just sit back and wait for her opportunity to strike, just like she did earlier and when the time came she would reveal herself.

* * *

Gail drove her mustang away from the school with no destination in mind. She had an uneasy feeling that she was not alone; however, that was crazy as there was nobody in the car with her. She shrugged off the uneasy feeling and tried to focus on the task at hand.

Gail was confused over what had just happened with Lucas, but she chose to push the encounter out of her mind as she needed to focus on Caleb. It was her cousins eleventh birthday and she had no idea what to do to take his mind off the tragedy that he had experienced the previous year. It was not fair that he was going to be forced to deal with these feelings each year on his birthday, she wished she could take on the burden for him but she knew from experience that he had to work through the pain on his own; although, she would be there to assist and support him.

Both their lives seemed to be plagued with tragedy, it was hard to believe one family could be so cursed. Gail was relieved that they had found each other, it was just unfortunate that it was under such sad circumstances. Having Caleb around had helped her come to terms with her own inner turmoil with her parents. She acknowledged that Lucas also played a part in steering her towards the truth; however, it was Caleb that had brought her back to the light and made her realise that her only living relative was much more important than the dead.

So many of her relationships with friends and partners had suffered due to her obsession with her parents death, to the point where she closed herself off completely and would only allow her friend Christie to be part of her life. When she had finally accepted what had happened with the fire, it opened her up to a proper relationship with her cousin and her resentment for Lucas began to fade. She was not stupid and knew this was her downfall when it came to Lucas, it was hard to resist his charms when there was nothing concrete for her to hate him for. Had she have pieced together his true relationship with Caleb and her Aunt Judy, things would have been very different.

Gail gave herself a mental shake and returned her thoughts to Caleb. Her heart ached at the thought of her cousin going through the same torment that she had gone through when she was younger, so she decided to make it her mission to make this a wonderful birthday so he could celebrate rather than mourn.

-To be continued...-


	2. Chapter 2

The hours passed slowly for Caleb these days when he was in school, he found himself imagining all the things he could be doing if he was not trapped in this overly bright classroom. Caleb even began to become irritated with his lunch breaks in the playground, it was as though the whole property was a prison compound and he was just itching to get out. He had thought of sneaking through a gap in the fence, but knew Gail would be disappointed if he cut class and he did not want to endure a lecture on the importance of school, like Gail got from Miss Coombs earlier; therefore, he kept his head down and tried to get through the days without any incidents.

At this moment in time, Miss Coombs was giving a lecture on the environment and the importance of recycling. Caleb, who could not care less about this subject today, placed his head on the desk and tried to stop himself from falling asleep. He was awoken from his train of thought when he heard his name and raised his head to see the whole class staring at him. Caleb glanced around the room in confusion until his eyes fell on Lucas Buck, then he sighed knowingly.

'Are you ready son? We gotta get you to that appointment' Lucas said with a wink.

Without hesitation Caleb picked up his school bag and headed out the door, waving to what little friends he had on the way out. When he got out of the building he turned around to find Lucas right behind him. 'Gail is going to be mad that you took me out of school' he said.

Lucas smiled, 'That good ol' cousin of yours won't know any different if we get back here by the end of the school bell son'

Caleb shook his head and smiled, Lucas always seemed to show up when he wanted to be somewhere else. Technically it would be Lucas who got into trouble if Gail found out and not him, so he decided to head towards Lucas's car for his escape from this prison.

Lucas signalled for Caleb to get in the passenger side of the car and he entered the drivers seat. 'So, we have a few hours to kill before I have to get you back here, what should we do?' Lucas asked.

'I don't care what we do as long as it's far away from here, I was losing the will to live in that classroom'

Lucas smiled at his boy, turned on the engine and headed towards Jackson bridge.

* * *

Gail was driving around aimlessly, trying to figure out her next move. She'd never had to consider doing anything for a child before she came to Trinity; therefore, she was completely at a loss about where to begin planning her cousins birthday. She pulled up at the pier and decided a quiet stroll might help her with this quandary.

As the warm summer breeze blew through her hair, she began to relax and tried to tackle her dilemma one piece at a time. Gail herself did not like fuss and she believed Caleb was the same. Her cousin only had three school friends that she knew of, Boon, Josh and Rose; therefore, a party was out of the question. Caleb had seemed to spend more time with adults like Ben, Billy, Matt and of course Lucas, over the past year rather than his school friends, however, that could just be down to circumstance and the events that he's had to endure.

Gail thought of taking him away from Trinity to somewhere like Nashville for a few days, but she knew Lucas would not stand for that. She considered trying to sneak away with Caleb when Lucas was not around; however, she had no doubt that he would know what she was planning and stop her, so she had decided it was not worth the wasted effort.

The sound of laughter stopped Gail in her tracks and made her turn her attention towards the water. She leaned on the rail and glanced amusingly at some teenagers splashing around in the water near a boat, without a care in the world. Gail sighed, she had never experienced that carefree attitude when she was younger, there was always something to do or something to work towards. She just wanted a fun, stress free birthday for her cousin; however, she had never had that herself so it was proving to be a bigger challenge than she had initially anticipated.

Gail decided to focus her efforts towards presents and continued walking towards the shops at the end of the pier. Before she could reach her desired destination, she caught a glimpse of Nurse Rita pacing from side to side seemingly talking to herself. Gail smiled and strolled towards her. 'Busy day at the hospital?' she said sarcastically.

Rita gave a slight jump, she had not realised anyone had noticed her in her preoccupied state, then she relaxed when she saw it was Gail approaching her. 'I took an early lunch break, it's been hectic at the hospital today. What's it to you?' she said bluntly.

Gail was taken aback by Rita's attitude, she had spent a little bit of time with her after she had woken up from the coma and previously when she was taken hostage by Ben Healy's brother in the hospital. Rita was normally very welcoming and friendly, this seemed out of character. Gail was not used to female interactions, she only had one close female friend in Charleston and Christie had always told her that she had a cold manner about her when other woman seemed to be experiencing problems. Gail gave Rita a warm smile and decided to tread carefully. 'Whoa there friend, I just thought I'd check on you as it looks like something is bothering you. It's nice to see an unexpected face at this time of day, especially when I'm at my wits end. Is everything ok?'

Rita had not realised how blunt her previous words had came out, Gail had just surprised her in the middle of a thought. Rita was used to not getting noticed, it usually worked in her favour as she knew all the players in this town and who to avoid. She prided herself on being left out of the games that were so often played in this town; however, now she had been noticed and it had thrown her off her game. Gail seemed genuinely nice and she knew the guy that had put her on edge. Rita had no-one else to confide in so she decided to just come out with what was bothering her. 'I'm fine thanks...it's stupid really' she said, hoping Gail would persist with her questioning.

Gail, in her usual fashion, became intrigued and could not help herself. 'If it's bothering you it can't be stupid Rita, do you want to talk about it?'

Rita glanced around to make sure no-one was in earshot and led Gail to one side of the pier. 'I've been asked out by a guy and I don't know what to do. Listen to me, I sound like a teenager!'

Gail smiled, in the grand scale of things this was as trivial as it could get. 'Seriously, that's your problem?...' she asked laughing, then stopped herself when she saw the look of embarrassment on Rita's face. 'Sorry, that was rude of me. What I meant was surely that's a compliment and if it doesn't feel that way, then it's clear that you shouldn't accept. Who is the lucky guy?'

Rita sighed, maybe Gail was right. If there was this much doubt in her mind, surely the smart thing to do would be to say no. 'I think you're right...it was Ben Healy' Rita said and turned sadly towards the water.

Damn! Gail thought, this is why she hated getting involved in other woman's dilemma's. She knew Ben had a crush on Rita, as he talked about her all the time and now it seemed that she had just convinced the woman to turn down her friends affections. She had to fix this, Ben would be so mad at her if she didn't and she could not lose one of the few friends she had in this town. 'Wait a minute, maybe I was being a bit too hasty...' Gail said trying to back track, '...what happened and why are you so unsure about what you should do?'

Rita slowly turned towards her, 'Well, I found a note in my locker from Ben asking if I'd join him for dinner tonight. I like him, I really do, but trouble seems to surround him and I'm not sure whether I want to be in the spotlight with someone like that.'

Gail shook her head knowingly, by trouble Rita meant Lucas Buck and Gail knew all too well what it was like trying to hide from that spotlight when she was dating him. She had to arrange to meet at ungodly hours and drive out of town to go for a meal, just so they could avoid the prying eyes of the townspeople. Ben must have been so afraid of the rejection to ask this woman out with a note, Billy must have put it in her locker when she was not around. Men could be so stupid, she thought. 'Look, I'm not going to pretend that we know each other well enough for me to make this decision for you. What I can tell you is that Ben is the nicest guy you're going to meet in this town. He's kind, caring and very respectful of woman, which is hard to find in this town. Sure trouble follows him, but speaking from experience with this 'trouble' Ben would do everything in his power to shield you from it. I've seen the way you look at Ben and you can't say that you don't have feelings for him, it's only one dinner Rita...what's the harm in that?'

Rita smiled, that was exactly what she wanted to hear. She gave Gail a hug, she could not control herself but backed up slightly when she felt Gail tense at the touch.

After the initial shock of the unexpected hug, Gail smiled. 'Well that's your dilemma sorted...I don't suppose you know anything about organising a child's party do you?'

'God no, but you helped me so we'll brainstorm for a bit before I'm due back at the hospital.' Rita said taking Gail's arm and leading her towards the coffee shop at the end of the pier.

* * *

Lucas sat comfortably with Caleb beside him on the edge of Johnson bridge. It was lovely clear summers afternoon, so he had decided to bring his boy fishing for a few hours before he was due back in school.

When Lucas had opened the boot of his car and produced a fishing rod for Caleb, the boy got excited as only a child could at a surprise. Although his actions had forced Caleb to deal with a lot of mature things this past year, it was nice to see the boy's innocence shine through once in a while. Now they were both sat comfortable taking in the sun and the peacefulness of the surroundings.

A tug on Caleb's line made them both sit up for a moment, then the line loosened again and they both relaxed back in their chairs. 'If we don't catch something soon, this is gonna be a wasted activity' Caleb said.

Lucas smiled, 'Son, you being sat bored in a classroom on a day like this is a wasted activity '

Caleb chuckled, he liked Lucas when he behaved like this. It was not often that you witnessed the man lower his guard and Caleb had noticed that he always seemed to be trying to get the upper hand, so it was nice to see the man relaxing.

Upon reflection, he did not think Lucas was so bad. Sure Merlyn had told him that Lucas had done some really bad things and he was not to be trusted, but Lucas had not done anything directly to him and at times he seemed to be concerned about him and Gail. Caleb was not stupid and he knew Lucas could be dangerous; however, he did not believe Lucas would intentionally hurt him or his cousin, which was the main thing Caleb focused on seen as they were the only two left alive in their family. 'Maybe it's a good thing if we don't catch nothin', Gail would have both our hides if she knew we were fishin' on a school day' Caleb said.

Lucas nodded, 'That cousin of yours would have both our hides no matter what we were doing on a school day son. Luckily she's preoccupied with other things at this moment in time'

Lucas knew Gail and Selena expected him to play the good role model and convince his son that his education was an important thing; however, the boy was smart and knew the trivial things Selena was trying to teach him in class would mean nothing to him in the future. Lucas learned everything he needed to know outside school in the real world, his father had taught him some tough lessons and Lucas had to learn the hard way how to succeed in this town. Caleb was a smart boy and Lucas would guide him as much as he could to the best of his ability, but in the end his boy would have to face the same trials and tribulations alone like he had done.

The problem Lucas had was that Caleb was not alone, had the events of his previous birthday gone to plan the boy would have been his by now. Gail's return to Trinity was an unexpected problem and her friendship with the good Doctor Matt had delayed his plans considerably, but he had gotten rid of 'Harvard' and the man's influence in the end.

Although Gail was like a thorn in his side, her presence was like a breath of fresh air and he welcomed the challenge. When he inevitably convinced Gail to give in to his will, he had no doubt that she would assist in helping his boy succumb to his true potential. At the moment both Caleb and Gail were a long way from where he wanted them to be; however, it would be fun convincing them to come around.

Caleb watched Lucas observantly, the subtle calculating look that Lucas sometimes got made him weary. As if reading his thoughts, Lucas got up 'Nothing to worry about son, just contemplating my next appointment of the day'

Caleb nodded suspiciously and glanced at the watch his cousin had bought him. 'It's coming up to end of class, we should head back'

'I think you're right son, we don't want that cousin of yours getting suspicious' Lucas said and stretched, then began collecting up the fishing gear.

* * *

Ben Healy sat on a bench outside the Sheriff's Station contemplating his next move. He had received a call from Rita accepting his dinner invitation and he did not know where to go from here. Arranging for the note to be placed in her locker at the hospital was a bolder move than he would normally take; however, Billy had convinced him that it was a good idea when they had drank one too many beers the night before. Ben had not expected a woman like Rita to accept his advances, he was beginning to get used to being alone.

Ben was so caught up in his train of thought that he did not hear Lucas pull up in his car and approach. 'Busy day, Deputy?' Lucas asked sarcastically.

Ben jumped at the sound of Lucas's voice, this was the last thing he needed right now. 'Oh hi Lucas, I was just out here trying to clear my head. Did you turn up anything interesting on your patrol?'

Lucas smiled, 'not really...so, why are you all hot an bothered Ben?

'Oh, nothin' really' Ben said and tried to look in any other direction apart from at Lucas. He was trying his best to hide his discomfort and was failing miserably. Ben stood up from his position on the bench and started heading back towards the safety of the Sheriff's Station, Floyd was on duty today and Lucas always turned his attention towards Floyd's antics.

Lucas strolled in front of Ben and his sheer presence stopped Ben in his tracks. 'What are you hiding Ben? We've known each other for years, you don't think I know when you've got a bee in your bonnet?'

Ben sighed, 'Alright Lucas, I have a date tonight and I don't know where to go, what food she likes or even what type of place she'd find fun'

'You sly dog you...' Lucas laughed, '..you should have told me you were having women problems sooner. Step into my office and we'll figure out the perfect place for that pretty little nurse of yours'

Ben shook his head, he did not recall telling Lucas that it was Rita he was taking out; however, at this moment in time he would welcome anyone's advice.

* * *

Gail sat frustratedly behind the wheel of her car. She had returned home after dropping Caleb off at the Boarding House when he had finished school, to a message from Lucas on her answering machine. The message consisted of a time and a place and nothing else, Gail should have known better than to be so obedient and to follow Lucas's instructions; however, she could never resist his mysteries.

Gail had changed into a short, loose fitting light brown dress and decided to wear her hair down loosely over her shoulders as she knew Lucas preferred her hair down. Although she had told Lucas they were not dating, she still felt good knowing her outfit would gage a reaction from him. When she had finished getting ready, she headed to her car and drove to the directions Lucas had provided in his message.

Reaching her destination, Gail cursed under her breath when she saw Ben and Rita waiting outside the restaurant looking anywhere but at each other. She sat for a moment contemplating her next move, when her car door was opened from the outside and Lucas leaned down providing her with his hand for assistance in leaving the vehicle. Gail paused for a moment, then got out of the car and smiled to hide her annoyance. Lucas took the car keys out of the ignition and passed them to a valet assistant to park her car in a more appropriate space.

Glancing at Lucas, Gail tried to determine what game he was playing. She did not believe for one minute that he genuinely just intended for them all to take part in a double date, she cursed herself for voluntarily walking into this situation. Lucas moved towards her and stroked his hand down her back, until it rested just above her behind. She glanced over her shoulder and shot an unimpressed look at him, Lucas just smiled and led her towards the building.

When Gail approached Ben and Rita, she could see how uncomfortable her friend looked. Lucas leaned in from behind and whispered in her ear, 'this isn't what you think darlin', do you seriously believe I'd arrange for us to go on a double date with these two? I've sorted the venue for these two love birds; however, a softer touch is needed to get them started'

Lucas traced his lips delicately down her neck before leaving the group and entering the restaurant. Gail shook her head as she watched him go, she disliked people and their mundane rituals at the best of times and she hated being forced into an uncomfortable exchange. She walked a few steps closer to the couple and put on her warmest, reassuring smile. 'hey you two...wow, this was quick' she said to them both.

Rita looked down at her hands and Ben produced a small, uncomfortable smile. 'Hi Gail, I didn't know you and Lucas had dinner plans today. I wasn't aware that you would have any plans with him actually' Ben said, trying not to be judgemental but wanting to shift some attention away from him.

Gail laughed, 'Oh I wasn't aware I had any plans with him either. Why don't you go inside and see what our lovely Sheriff is doing?'

Ben nodded, gave Rita a smile then walked into the restaurant.

Rita looked up at Gail and laughed. 'I've never been so nervous in my life'

'Don't be nervous, just relax and have fun. I appreciate what you said earlier about the spotlight and believe me, all eyes will be on me and the good Sheriff when we go in there' Gail said and signalled for Rita to follow her inside.

When they entered the restaurant, Rita let out a deep breath. 'This is where all the Generals dine in this town, I can't believe they've even allowed me in' she whispered.

'Generals huh? You'll have to elaborate on that at a more appropriate time. Personally, I prefer a smaller setting, so I get the feeling this show is just for you' Gail laughed and nudged Rita forward.

A woman who seemed to be waiting for them greeted them both with a smile and led them to their separate tables. Rita was taken to a table by the window where Ben was already sat, while Gail was led to Lucas's usual spot by the fireplace. As Gail approached the table, Lucas stood up in his usual gentlemanly fashion, pulled out a chair for her and poured her a glass of red wine. When she was sat comfortably, she took a sip of her wine and sighed. 'What is this Lucas? You know I don't like the public scene with you, especially this early in the evening with all the prying eyes'

'Are you ashamed of me darlin'?' Lucas asked sarcastically and Gail shook her head impatiently. 'In all seriousness darlin', Ben was panicked about his date and I thought he could impress the girl by bringing her to a nice restaurant. Is that so bad?'

Gail leaned forward until their faces where only inches apart. 'In all seriousness Sheriff, do you think I'm naive enough to believe you'd do a selfless act without anything in return?'

Lucas smiled, leaned closer to her and feigned a hurt look. He knew she was either angry or in a playful mood when she referred to him as Sheriff, he chose to believe it was the latter. 'Maybe I just wanted to help a friend and spend some quality time with my lover' he said.

'Lover...is that so? and you believe taking me on a date for all to see would qualify as quality time' she asked sweetly.

Lucas shrugged, 'You can handle the attention darlin', something tells me the lovely nurse over there couldn't'

Gail glanced over at Ben and Rita, they had seemed to relax with each other and all eye's in this place were most certainly on her and Lucas. She sighed again and decided to play along. Leaning back in her chair she took another sip of her wine and picked up the dinner menu, trying to ignore the smug look on Lucas's face from across the table.

* * *

It was late evening when Gail noticed Ben and Rita getting up from their table, it had been two hours since they arrived at the restaurant and the pair looked to be hitting it off. On their way out, Rita shot Gail a quick glance and wave which indicated everything was going fine. Gail finished her forth glass of wine and turned towards Lucas, who seemed to be watching her intently. 'I'd love to know what goes through your mind when you're surveying a room like this darlin'' Lucas said.

Gail leaned back in her chair and sighed, 'Well, usually the first thing I notice is how self absorbed most people are. They are clearly more interested in superficial things as opposed to what's going on around them. Once I've determined what type of people I'm surrounded by, it's easy to spot anyone acting out of character and whether it's worth my time trying to establish what they're up to. You for instance are feigning interest in what I'm thinking, so I think it would be worth my time to determine what game your playing'

Lucas laughed, 'Game? no game here darlin'. I've made it clear from the start what my intentions are and what I want, it's you whose choosing to ignore the signs'

Gail held his gaze for a moment, then glanced at the exit to make sure Ben and Rita had left. She felt the sudden urge to stand up, as though her mind was screaming at her to run. Gail did not like this intrusive feeling and pushed it to the back of her mind. 'I'm not ignoring any of your signs Lucas, I've made my boundaries clear. If you can't handle that then you should think of patching things up with your little school teacher'

Lucas stood up and moved his chair closer to Gail, prompting the prying eyes in the room to focus on them again. Leaning into her, he placed his hand gently on her leg under the table and slowly started to move it up her thigh beneath her dress. Gail tried to control her reaction, but her body visibly tensed slightly. Smiling, Lucas leaned closer until his lips where touching her ear. 'Darlin' it's taking all my self control to respect your boundaries; however, when you show up in this tiny dress of yours, a man could be forgiven for wanting something at the end of the night' he whispered.

Gail inhaled deeply and kept her focus on the exit on the other side of the room. Slightly turning her head towards him, she whispered, 'Sheriff, no matter what a women is wearing, I'd expect you to remember you are a gentleman of the law'

Lucas's smile grew wider, there she goes using his title again. 'To be fair Miss Emory, you could be wearing anything right now and I'd still want to bend you over this table' he whispered and let his hand continue further up her thigh.

Gail, aware of the prying eyes that were trying to watch them discretely, resisted the urge to look at him. She knew no one could see what was happening underneath their table and this interaction would seem like the lovely Lucas Buck was trying to court her with some tender conversation. God help her tomorrow when the rumour mill started. Despite all of her reservations, if Gail was to be honest with herself she would admit that the attention he was giving her was making her feel better after her uneventful day.

Sometimes she wondered why she always had to be such a good girl, Lucas had a way of making her want to throw caution to the wind. She was frustrated over Caleb's birthday and had been thrust into this uncomfortable situation earlier, could it so wrong to want to have a little fun. Gail was not the type of woman to sleep around and she prided herself on not needing to go from man to man to satisfy her intimate needs; therefore, even though she had the likes of Billy Peele hinting that they could try and be more than friends, any intimate activities would only be done with her present companion as she had no desire to add another notch to her bedpost. It was bad enough that she had let Lucas in.

Aware that Lucas's last comment had gone unanswered, Gail took another deep intake of breath and shrugged, 'So why don't you Sheriff?' she asked playfully, calling his bluff.

Lucas was dumbfounded, he knew she had gone into that little world she goes to when she manages to talk herself out of being with him; however, it was surprising that she had actually talked herself into continuing there playful conversation. Maybe she was finally coming around to his way of thinking. Lucas could feel his self control starting to waiver and shot a warning look at the remaining people in the restaurant, reminding them who they were dealing with and all eyes turned towards anywhere but his table. He placed his free hand on Gail's neck, to gently pull her head closer to his and inhaled her scent. 'It looks like someone wants to be a bad girl tonight...' he whispered placing soft kisses on her neck, '...don't think I won't take you as soon as we leave here'

Gail leaned into his kisses, his lips felt so soft on her neck she had to resist the urge to pull his head up to her lips and kiss him in front of everyone here. This is why she preferred the private setting, although she had noticed that everyone remaining in he restaurant were not looking at them any more. Her self control began to melt away and she reach her hand under the table, gently placed in on Lucas's and pushed his hand higher until it rested at the spot between her legs. She closed her eyes as he began to play with her and his lips started to travel further up her neck. She knew this was inappropriate but she did not want him to stop, so she tried to remain sat upright to not give away what was happening under their table.

She could feel Lucas's triumphant smile on her neck and could not believe she was letting the bastard win this round. Suddenly she felt a pain shoot through her mind, which made her grab his hand under the table and pull it off her. She could feel Lucas tense, stop kissing her neck and staring at her. She did not need to turn towards him to know it was a confused look he was giving her.

'Darlin'?...' he started, but Gail stood up and brushed her dress down.

Lucas stood up to follow her lead and went to walk behind her. 'Don't!' she said turning towards him and raising her index finger at him. 'You did a good thing for Ben and now I'm leaving. I don't need an escort'

Lucas nodded slowly to show he respected her wishes by letting her leave and watched her walk towards the exit, then out of the restaurant.

When Gail came out into the warm evening air she stopped. She did not know what had just happened, but she felt physically sick. She could feel her eye's well up with tears, as she was so angry at herself for not being able to determine what was causing her erratic behaviour. Gail took out her phone and decided to call Billy for a ride home, she could not drive after the amount she had drank and she could not face small talk with a taxi driver. She needed to go home and re-evaluate what had just happened.

Merlyn Temple stood smiling victorious in the corner of the restaurant, as she watched Lucas sit down at the table and pour another glass of wine. She had been trying to get Gail's attention all evening and had resorted to screaming at her cousin to leave. She was glad to see that her efforts were slowly starting to pay off and they were having an affect on her cousin, now she just needed to figure out a way to communicate properly with her.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

It was 4am and Gail Emory was wide awake, after having the most intriguing dream. In fact it had taken her a few minutes after waking up to realise that it was just a dream, as it had felt so vivid. From what she could recollect Gail had been out shopping for groceries when she was approached by a young teenage girl, the girl had looked very familiar and started talking to her as if they had known each other for years. Gail could not quite pin point where she knew her from, but in the dream it felt like the most natural thing when the girl started helping her choose what food they wanted for dinner.

After they had finished shopping Gail drove them both home to cook dinner, except this was not her home it was Caleb's old farmhouse. Gail had felt at home there in the dream and seemed to enjoy the domestic tasks that she was performing. The girl went into one of the bedrooms, changed into a pretty white dress and wore her dark brown hair loose over her shoulders. Gail remembered laughing and telling her that was not a suitable outfit for cooking.

Strangely she did not remember calling the girl by her name, but she had felt so familiar. They had joked around while cooking dinner for Caleb; they had decided on a beef stew, which upon reflection Gail realised she would never choose these days. After her pregnancy and the strange foods that it had caused her to consume, she could not stomach red meat especially if she was the one who had to cook it.

Returning her attention to the dream, she remembered the girl staring at her intently throughout all their conversations. Gail tried to picture her face, but her mind would not focus on it and she could not remember details of what they talked about. What Gail did recall was saying that she would make an extra plate for Lucas to join them when he finished at the Sheriff's Station and this is when the dream got even stranger. The girl's demeanour changed instantly at the mention of Lucas's name and she began smashing plates. Gail, unlike her usual self, took a firm stance and shouted at the girl to stop behaving like a child.

In a conflict Gail would usually be the voice of reason, she did not believe shouting was beneficial to anyone and would normally take a diplomatic stance. Not only had she shouted at the young girl, she was talking to her as if she had some control over her actions.

The girl had apologised, turned her back to her and started cleaning up the mess she had made, while Gail had tried to regain her composure. When she went to help the girl clean up the smashed plates, she noticed there was a pool of blood on the floor. Gail grabbed the girl by the arm and pulled her towards her, she gasped when she saw the girls face and arms were covered in blood. Gail had awoken at that point and the last thing she remembered of the bizarre dream was the girl placing both blood stained hands on her arms and shouting 'See me Gail!'

Gail had suffered from bad dreams all her life; however, they usually meant something. Gail was awoken abruptly last year by a nightmare about a child and when she had turned on the news she had seen a local Sheriff talking about a tragedy, which involved her only living relative. Her friend Christie had once said that she had a gift, but Gail dismissed this statement and had told her to grow up. She chose not to acknowledge 'gifts' but would never just disregard her dreams, especially in Trinity where there were strange occurrences happening almost every day.

Gail got up from her empty bed, put on her robe and started pacing. If she had allowed Lucas to come over last night, he would have found a way to help her go back to sleep but she had chosen to avoid him since their encounter at the restaurant a few days earlier. Her recent behaviour was a mystery, it seemed the closer she got to Caleb's birthday and Lucas Buck, the more out of character she acted.

'See me Gail' she said out loud as she walked down the corridor and into her living room. She repeated the words again when she settled by her living room window. Something was not right, she could feel it. Gail tried again to picture the girls face but could not, then suddenly she got a knot in her stomach. She still could not picture the girls face; however, she had finally realised what the familiar feeling that she had experienced around the girl was, she had felt like family.

* * *

Lucas was sat comfortably on his couch with a cup of coffee, reading the morning newspaper. When he was at home, he had a relaxing routine before he headed out to his office. He would get dressed, brew a cup of coffee and pick up the morning newspaper from his doorstep. The paper boy would always make sure he had his newspaper first thing and Lucas would take an hour to sit comfortably on his couch, checking out what trivial things were going on in the town paper. He was the Sheriff so there no set time that he was required to head to the office; therefore, he would just take his time in the morning to sort out his thoughts for the upcoming day.

This morning he was finding it hard to relax, as he was agitated. Gail had clearly been avoiding him since their encounter at the restaurant, not to mention that it was his son's birthday tomorrow and his lover seemed too preoccupied with something to focus on the event. Lucas could feel that something was not right, he just could not put his finger on it. He had been making good progress with Gail and Caleb, but they both seemed to be pulling away these last few days.

Lucas stood up and threw the newspaper down, he felt that familiar all knowing feeling and smiled. Walking to his kitchen he made a fresh cup of coffee and a cup of herbal tea, then headed out to his front porch. Opening the door, his smile grew wider when his instincts had been confirmed and he spotted Gail sat on a bench in his garden, taking in her surroundings. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, but some strands of hair had come loose around her face and were blowing lightly in the warm morning breeze.

When he approached, Gail stood up. 'How did you know I was here?' she asked.

Lucas shrugged and handed her the cup of tea. 'I didn't, I just took a chance...' he lied, 'What brings you to my residence this early in the morning Miss Emory?'

Gail took the cup he had offered and they both sat down on the bench. 'Caleb.' she said and took a sip of the tea.

Gail had mixed feelings about this place, the immense garden had so much potential and Lucas had given her free reign to do what she wanted here. The outdoors had always made her feel at peace and sometimes she would come here to think when Lucas was not around, as she had begun to get visitors to her place on a regular basis these days which made it difficult for her to be alone with her thoughts.

The house on the other hand put her on edge, what limited information she could dig up on Lucas confirmed that this place had been in his family for at least a century. The house had a presence that she did not care for and she still would not go inside after what had happened with Caleb. Lucas had respected her wishes and came to her when they met up, as she had told him that she would not back down when it came to that house.

Lucas was staring at Gail, waiting for her to come out of her reverie. He had let go of his previous agitation and could feel that an opening would be coming his way in the near future. 'What about Caleb?...' he asked when he could see she had returned to him, '...Is everything ok?'

'Caleb's fine Lucas, but we need to sort his birthday'

Lucas smiled. 'We? Ok darlin' what can I do?'

Gail shook her head, she could not believe she was putting herself in this position with Lucas. She had vowed that she would never ask for his help again or put herself in a position where she owed him. This was for Caleb though and she needed to stop thinking about herself. Lucas was not going to like this, but she decided to just be honest rather than beat around the bush. 'You can get me Matt Crower' she said candidly.

The soft demeanour Lucas was displaying became hard at the sound of her old friends name. Gail watched him closely in an attempt to determine how this was going to play out. Lucas, sensing Gail's eyes on him, forced a light laugh and tried to remain in control of his temper. 'Let me get this straight, you want me to get you the man who tried to kill me? Darlin' you know I'd do almost anything to assist you but not only did the good Doctor break the law, he tried to take a shot at me. How do you think that would look for my reputation if I let the man walk free?'

Gail had known Lucas would not like what she was asking and she could see his anger through the false facade he was trying to portray, so she decided to tread lightly. Touching his face gently with her free hand, she moved closer to him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Moving her hand down to his leg, she spoke softly 'No one is telling you to let him walk free. Caleb's birthday is tomorrow and it would be a huge surprise for him if Matt could be there. We can have a small gathering in a remote place, people don't have to know. I would personally make sure Matt was on his best behaviour and keep him away from you. Come on Lucas, this is for your son.'

Lucas put his cup down and gently caressed Gail's cheek. Pulling her face to him he kissed her passionately on the lips, then said 'No'

Gail pulled away sharply and shook her head, 'No? Just like that?'

'I will not negotiate on this darlin', ask me to assist you in any other way but not this' Lucas said sternly.

Gail stood up, placed her cup on the grass and walked out of the garden, leaving Lucas alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Ben Healy was sat behind the counter of the Sheriff's Station with a huge smile on his face, trying to complete a crossword puzzle. Lucas walked through the door, visibly annoyed over the encounter he had experienced earlier. 'You're in later than usual' Ben commented as Lucas was walking past.

Lucas stopped and turned towards his Deputy, this was not the time to question his actions. 'You're feeling brave today Deputy' he said as he threw open the opening to the other side of the counter.

Ben looked up from the crossword puzzle and instantly regretted the comment when he saw the look on Lucas's face, 'Whoa Lucas, I didn't mean anything by it. Are you ok?'

Lucas sat down and took a deep breath, Gail would have his hide if he took his bad mood out on Ben. She had gotten under his skin this morning, but he still believed there would be an opportunity for him and he just needed to bide his time. 'I'm fine and dandy Ben, what's caused this good mood of yours?' he asked.

Ben smiled, 'Well that restaurant you arranged for us to go to the other night did the trick Lucas, Rita has accepted another invitation to go out. This time I need to plan it myself, but I really appreciate what you and Gail did.'

Lucas laughed, it looked like his Deputy might have a better love life than him at the moment. Lucas got up and patted Ben on the back, 'Any time Ben, just remember who your real friend is rather than trusting the word of an out of town Doctor' with that he walked to his office an closed the door.

When he sat down behind his desk he let out a long sigh and tried to steer his thoughts towards his son's birthday; however, he was interrupted by a knock on the office door. Although he wanted time to think, he knew had to perform his duty. 'What?' he called.

Selena Coombs opened the door and strolled in. She perched herself seductively on the edge of his desk and smiled, 'Problems darlin'?'

Lucas shook his head, 'This is not the time Selena'

'When is the time these days, Sheriff?...' she asked.

Lucas had made himself clear when he had told her to stay away, he still did not trust her after what she led Gail into. Selena was not sorry; however, she wanted to earn his trust back, she was still trying to get back with Billy but she was beginning to realise that Lucas would always come first. 'Caleb has gone missing, he didn't return to class after first break. I thought you'd prefer me to inform you rather than the lovely Miss Emory'

Lucas smiled, this could be the opportunity he had sensed. 'You did good Selena, now get out'

Selena returned his smile, his complement was a start. She got up and left her ex-lover to his thoughts, she knew better than to get in his way when he was planning something.

Lucas waited until he was sure Selena had left the building, then headed to his car.

* * *

Caleb wandered the streets of Trinity, trying to figure out what he wanted to do. His bad dreams had been coming more frequently these last few nights and the lack of sleep was clearly affecting his patience. He had attempted to sit through the boring lesson Miss Coombs was giving to the class, but when it came to first break he felt the urge to escape so he left through a gap in the fence and ran. He knew he would get into trouble when Gail found out but at this moment he did not care, he just had to get out of there.

He was careful to avoid the streets that his cousin would usually travel down and he steered clear of the Boarding House, as Miss Holt would tell Gail if she saw him in school hours. Now that he was far away from anyone he knew, he was at a loss as to where to go from here so he was just wandering around.

'I can take you wherever you want to go, son'

Caleb turned towards the familiar voice and saw Lucas leaning casually against a tree he had just walked past. 'Go away Lucas' Caleb said.

'Whoa there son...' Lucas said as he walked towards him, '...is that any way to talk to your elder?'

Caleb gave himself a mental shake, he should have known Lucas would show up at some point and he had only offered to take him wherever he wanted. 'Sorry Lucas, I'm just tired. You don't need to take me nowhere, I just want to be alone'

Lucas put a hand on Caleb's shoulder, 'No need to apologise son. I understand you wanting to be alone, but your cousin is out and about today so it might be a good idea to be somewhere more private than this street.'

Caleb knew Lucas was right, although it seemed him and Lucas were starting to keep a lot of secrets from Gail recently which he felt uneasy about. He could not deal with a lecture right now so he decided to take Lucas up on his offer and he would think about his cousin at another time. 'Ok Lucas, take me somewhere more private.' he said.

Lucas smiled and led him towards his car down the street.

* * *

Gail was wandering around the town centre aimlessly trying to come up with a nice surprise for her cousins birthday. When she had woken up at that ungodly hour this morning, she was amazed that she had managed to focus on anything other than the strange dream she had. She was angry at Lucas for not even considering her suggestion about Matt, Caleb would be over the moon if he could see him again even if it was just for an hour or two.

Lucas could not restrict all visitors to her old friend, as Matt had proven that he could play well with others, but Lucas had certainly managed to limit the amount of visits he could get and no children were allowed near him. Even though the hoops she had to jump through to see Matt was infuriating, she could not blame Lucas as Matt had tried to kill him. Lucas was a proud man and she could understand the stance he had taken, as a man like Lucas needed his reputation to stay intact to be able to run a town like this and she could not believe she had stooped to such a low level using the 'son' card, but she knew deep down that this would have been the perfect thing to take Caleb's mind off the tragedy surrounding his birthday.

Gail stopped for a moment, being so deep in thought she had wandered to a place she did not recognise. 'Brilliant' she said out loud.

After surveying her surroundings, it became evident that Gail had been walking away from the town centre for a significant amount of time as there were not many buildings around. She let out a big sigh and cursed herself for being so distracted by her thoughts, she could see no one close by so she would just have to chose a direction and hope for the best.

Her instincts were telling her to go west but from what she saw and the lack of anything in the direction, that seemed like it would lead her further from the town centre. Gail's instincts did not usually steer her in the wrong direction; however, she had been acting strange recently so she turned east and took a few steps towards the buildings she could see further down the road. Suddenly she felt a jolt of pain flash through her head and she stopped. Gail felt her mind urging her to go west so she turned back around. 'This is ridiculous' she said to herself and took a few steps forward to determine whether she could see anything down the road.

Gail stopped in her tracks at what she saw in the distance, she could not see any buildings; however, she had caught a glimpse of a small figure in a white dress. Her heart was racing, this had to be a trick of her mind. It was a dream, nothing else...but she could have sworn that the figure had waved at her and she could see the figures dark hair blowing in the breeze.

Gail closed her eyes and gave herself a shake, when she opened her eyes the figure was gone and she was once again alone out here. 'I'm going as crazy as Matt' she laughed to herself out loud. Still, what would the harm be in walking that way? she had hit a wall with the birthday planning and the long walk might help her clear her mind.

* * *

Caleb sat comfortably on Lucas's porch, staring out into his vast garden. When Lucas had said he would take him somewhere private, he thought that would be a spot by the river not his home. Caleb had opted to sit outside in the warm sun rather than be cooped up in Lucas's big house, so Lucas had gone inside to get them both a drink and had just returned with two bottle's of root beer.

'Don't tell your cousin I let you drink this' Lucas said handing Caleb a bottle.

Caleb smiled, 'I won't, she'd kill you if she found out'

Lucas nodded, took a sip of his drink and sat down next to his boy. 'So, you want to tell me what's going on with you? It's not like you to take a chance like this, you're lucky it was me who found you and not your cousin or Miss Holt.'

'I don't want to talk about it' Caleb said getting up and walking down the porch steps with his drink.

Lucas shook his head in exasperation, if it was not Gail shutting him out it was Caleb. He was used to getting his way and his people being obedient, these two were beginning to try his patience. Lucas got up and walked towards the edge of his porch. 'Ok son...' he called, 'I'll be inside, let me know if you need anything' he said and chose to leave his son alone like he initially wanted.

Caleb took a sip of his root beer and slowly walked around the garden, he stopped when something came to his eye by a bench. Bending down, Caleb picked up a cup with liquid in and smelt it. The liquid smelt like the weird tea that his cousin liked so much, could she have been here? He glanced around as if she was going to appear from behind a tree, then continued strolling around the garden with both the cup and his root beer in hand. He had not decided how he felt about this place, he had been in Lucas's house a handful of times but it had felt strange. He liked this garden, although he had never really paid much attention to it before, it made him feel relaxed.

Caleb glanced back at the porch and noted that Lucas had in fact gone back inside, so he kept strolling slowly around the garden. Taking a deep breath he looked up at the sky then closed his eyes, it was his birthday tomorrow and he just wanted to crawl into a dark place to hide. He saw how people looked at him with pity, they all remembered what had happened last year. He knew Gail would try her best to shield him from people and make the day as pleasant as possible; however, what he really wanted to do was just forget about it all. He had lost so much, his sister, the only father he had really known, Doctor Matt...sure he had gained his cousin and Lucas, but he was not sure whether that was enough to keep him sane.

It appeared that he had subconsciously returned to Lucas's porch, so he decided to go inside and take him the cup of cold tea. He opened the door and followed the sound of Johnny Cash to Lucas's living room. He recalled that Gail had played Johnny Cash for him on several occasions amongst other things, trying to get him into music. She had told him that music was a good outlet for people like them, as different artists and songs could relate to the pain they had suffered. Caleb had not chosen what type of music was his favourite yet, but he was leaning towards country and liked the sound of Johnny Cash. Gail had said he was one of her favourites and she would take him to the museum in Nashville when she could.

Caleb lost his train of thought when he saw Lucas sat on the couch, tapping his foot to the beat and reading a newspaper. He smiled and imagined not many of the townspeople got to see Sheriff Lucas Buck relaxing.

'Not many at all, son...' Lucas said still tapping his foot to the music, '...did you manage to find some clarity out there?'

'Nah, but I feel a bit better. I found this by a bench, was it Gail's? Caleb asked.

Lucas looked up and saw the cup of herbal tea, he was in such a frustrated mood this morning he had forgotten to pick it up. 'You think I'd drink something like that?' he laughed. Getting up he took the cup from Caleb and placed it on a table. 'Your cousin had a dilemma this morning and wanted some advice.'

Caleb nodded, it was nice to know he was not the only one trying to work things out. 'Did she find the answer she needed?' he asked.

Lucas shook his head, 'No sir, that one is as stubborn as you.'

Caleb smiled, then noticed the time on Lucas's clock. 'We better go back to school, do you think Miss Coomb's will be mad?'

Lucas walked closer and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, 'You let me worry about your teacher son, it'll all be fine.'

Caleb gave out a sigh of relief and they both headed for the door.

* * *

Gail had began to doubt her decision to walk such a long distance on this hot summers afternoon, the sun was high in the sky and it was the hottest part of the day. She was not dressed for a long walk and she could feel her skirt and blouse starting to stick uncomfortably to her skin. Gail was about to pull out her mobile phone to see if Ben or Billy could come and pick her up from wherever she was, when she saw a metal fence in the distance. Gail picked up her pace and felt a sick feeling in her stomach when she realised she was approaching the town cemetery where all her family are buried. At least she had found her bearings and could walk through the cemetery to the road on the other side.

When Gail reached an opening in the fence and entered the cemetery, she began to look for any landmark that would enable her to establish where her parents had been buried. She had never entered this place from this side of the road and had not realised from her previous visits how many people had been buried here or how vast the place was. There was a smaller plot further outside town where Gage and Merlyn Temple had initially been buried; however, they had been moved here so all the family could be in one place.

Gail spotted the familiar patch of trees that surrounded her parent's graves and headed towards it, she had not visited her parent's much since she had found out the truth of what had happened to them. The memory of her perfect loving parent's had been shattered by the visions of domestic abuse, child abuse and infidelity. She could not believe that she had pushed the horrific memories deep down and created the perfect family in her mind. It would take time for her to fully forgive her parents, especially her father.

Her train of thought was interrupted when a glimpse of white caught her eye, Gail turned around and saw what looked like white clothing blowing from behind a tree. After kissing her hand and gently touching her mother's grave, she decided to walk in that direction. As Gail got closer it appeared that a figure was standing behind the tree ahead, she took a deep breath and quickened her pace; however, when she reached the tree there no was no one to be found. 'Damn it!' she cursed out loud and began to survey her surroundings.

Gail was drawn to the two small wooden grave stones to the side of the tree, she recognised them instantly before she approached it was Gage and Merlyn Temple. She looked on at Gage's plot with disgust, not only had he killed her parents he had killed his own daughter. Shaking her head, she turned her attention towards the cousin she had never known. Caleb would never talk about Gage but had described his sister as kind and loving, she had meant the world to him. It was such a shame that they had never had a chance to meet, if Gail had come to town sooner she may have been able to stop the tragic events of last year; however, she had not known how sick Gage Temple was. 'I'm so sorry' Gail said aloud to the grave.

Merlyn Temple was watching from in front of the tree Gail had just walked past, she had never considered that her cousin would feel guilt over her situation. 'It wasn't your fault, you weren't to know what was going to happen' Merlyn said reassuringly.

Gail spun around quickly at the sound of the words , who had just spoken to her? She surveyed her surroundings again and all she saw was a couple at the edge of the cemetery, no one was close enough to talk to her. Gail felt like she was losing her mind, her behaviour had been so erratic and now she was hearing voices? Maybe she needed to be locked up with her old friend Matt.

Merlyn took a small step forward, Gail had heard her finally! she could not control her excitement. 'Over here Gail!' she said.

Gail took a step back, she definitely heard her name that time. What was happening to her? She shot paranoid glances all around her and there was still no one close enough to speak to her. Gail began to shake, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She became very aware that she was in a cemetery and hearing voices.

Before she came to Trinity Gail did not believe in the paranormal; however, after everything that had happened to her and Caleb in this town, she did not know what to believe any more. She had somehow had visions of her parents and Caleb had spoken about about his sister as if he had seen her and talked to her after her death.

'This is crazy' Gail said and slowly started backing away towards the exit of the cemetery. Gail jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, spun around and ran out of the cemetery, ignoring the strange looks from the couple she had previously spotted.

A single tear ran down Merlyn's face, as she watched how scared her cousin had gotten from a touch of her hand. She had been stupid to think Gail would be as accepting of her presence as Caleb was, all she had accomplished was making her cousin feel like she was going crazy. She was back to square one and seemed to be stuck in this limbo.

* * *

Lucas left the classroom with a smile on his face. When he had returned Caleb to his classroom, he had informed the class that Caleb had been his assistant on an important case and if they all performed well with their homework another lucky member of the class may be chosen next time. Selena had shook her head at the explanation; however, the kids in the class were excited and he felt like he had been the good role model everyone expected him to be. Lucas knew Selena would not punish Caleb for skipping class, she was too busy trying to find a way back into his good books.

Lucas got into his car and headed towards the Sheriff's Station. He had still not picked up a gift for his boy so he decided to stop off at the hobby store to see what he could find. When he arrived at the store, he greeted everyone with his warmest smile and began to look around for something that might interest Caleb. It was proving harder than he thought to figure out what the boy would like, everything looked so childish. Lucas left the store empty handed and returned to his car, as he opened the car door he felt a familiar feeling and stopped. Looking around, he smiled when he spotted Gail leaning on a rail and looking out into the Trinity river. He closed the car door and headed towards her.

Gail was staring out into the water, trying to gather her thoughts. It had been a strange day and she needed something to calm her down after the craziness in the cemetery, instead of going for a drink she had chosen to take in the scenery and regain her composure. Gail was so preoccupied that she did not feel the soft touch of Lucas's hand on her shoulder, until she heard his voice.

'Darlin' are you ok?' Lucas asked concerned.

Gail shrugged his hand off her shoulder and continued to look out into the water. 'What do you care?'

Lucas glanced around to make sure no one was watching them, then placed both hands on her hips and leaned in closer. 'Are we really going to play this game the day before your only living relative's birthday? What's bothering you darlin'?'

Gail sighed, she knew she had more important things to be doing than dealing with her sudden craziness. 'What's bothering me is none of your concern Sheriff...' she said pulling away from his grasp, 'besides, you know what can be done to make his birthday a good one. If you can't help me with that then just leave me alone.'

Lucas took a step back, he knew better than to try to push forward with his advances when she was in this type of mood. 'Ok...' he shrugged, 'I'll leave you to your thoughts. You know where to find me if you need anything else.'

Gail just shook her head and walked away, leaving Lucas to contemplate his next move.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Caleb Temple woke up on the morning of his birthday feeling refreshed. This was the first time in a week that he had not been awoken by a nightmare and he felt much less agitated after having a good nights sleep. Caleb got dressed and headed downstairs ready to tackle the day ahead.

When he approached the kitchen, he could hear the chatter of the residents who were staying at the Boarding House and stopped. A sudden sadness filled him and he did not want to have to pretend he was happy or deal with the looks of pity that he would surely get when he walked through the door. Caleb took a deep breath and put on his best smile, then moved a few steps closer to the door. As he put his hand on the door, he felt a hand grip his arm and he turned around to see his cousin Gail.

Gail placed a finger on her lips, 'Shh...come on' she whispered and signalled towards the front door.

Caleb allowed himself to be lead away from the kitchen and away from the awkward confrontation that he would have experienced. When they were safely outside Caleb let out a relieved sigh and gave Gail a big hug. 'Thanks cous', I don't think I could've handled all those people first thing this mornin''

'I don't think I could handle small talk with all those people any morning...' Gail said and smiled, '...so, breakfast or errands first?'

Caleb was confused, Gail was acting as if this was any other day but had not mentioned taking him to school. He was not going to temp fate and remind her about school so he chose to just play along. 'Umm...errands first then we can relax and have breakfast.'

Gail put an arm around her cousin and lead him to her car. 'That's what I was thinking, we just have two things to do then we can figure out where you want to go for breakfast.'

Caleb noticed that the top was down on Gail's mustang so he ran and jumped over the car door and into the front seat. Gail gave a warning look for him not to damage her car then got in the drivers side. There was not much conversation on the drive into town, until Gail pulled up at a florist and got out of the car. 'Are you coming?' she shouted to Caleb when he had not moved from the front seat.

Caleb got out the car and ran to catch up to his cousin. Inside the shop he noticed Gail was looking at a pretty pink flower, so he approached her position and stood next to her. 'This is an orchid' she said, 'It was my mothers favourite flower, I used to help her plant them in our garden when my father was at work'

Caleb smiled, it was not often that Gail spoke about the time she had spent with her mother. He had heard her talk about the fire and that the women in their family liked to cook; however, she never really opened up about any of her experiences with her parents. 'It's pretty' Caleb said, 'I think I prefer the white one though'

Gail gently touched his face with her hand, 'Lets get one of each then'

Caleb picked a white orchid and Gail went for two of the pink orchids, then she signalled for him to follow her to the front of the store. After paying for the flowers they returned to Gail's car and secured them safely on the floor behind the front seats.

'Errand number one done' Gail said and started up the car. Caleb jumped in the front seat again and Gail began to drive out of town. His cousin had still not mentioned dropping him off at school and it seemed like they were driving in the opposite direction, so he assumed that Gail was letting him skip class for today as it was his birthday.

Strangely Gail had not yet mentioned his birthday, Caleb thought she would have given him a present or at least wished him happy birthday. It was nice that she did not seem to be making a big deal about the whole thing, as he was finding it hard to be happy when all he could think about was what he had lost.

Caleb was taken out of reverie by the sound of the car door closing, he looked around to see Gail struggling with the orchids and got out of the car to help her. She nodded in appreciation of his help, picked up a plastic bag and headed through a metal arch that she had pulled up next to, it took Caleb a few seconds to realise that he was at the town cemetery. He rushed to keep up with his cousin, while trying not to drop the white orchid. 'What are we doing here cous'?'

Gail stopped when she reached her mothers grave and turned towards Caleb. 'You're helping me with my errands. I recently realised that we have neglected our family and we need rectify the situation before we can focus on anything else.'

Gail knelt down and whispered some words to her mothers grave that Caleb could not hear, then pulled out some gardening gloves from the plastic bag she had brought and started to make a small hole in the soil. Caleb went to place the white orchid he was holding on the ground to help his cousin when she stopped.

'No Caleb, that's yours' she said holding out a pair of gloves and looking towards the grave stone of Merlyn Temple. 'We've both neglected our family, we both need to make it right'

Caleb nodded and walked towards his sisters grave. He had only visited this place twice since his last birthday, one time at the request of his sister and the other with Gail so she could show him where his mother was buried. He did not like the presence of this place and did not want to believe his sister was truly gone, so he had avoided coming here. Gail was right, he had neglected his sister and he needed to show her that he still cared. 'I'm sorry Merly' he said as he knelt down and started to plant the flower like his cousin had previously taught him.

When he was finished planting the orchid, Caleb touched Merlyn's grave stone then got up to find his cousin. Gail had wandered further away to his mothers grave and had planted the second pink orchid. When she got up and dusted the mud from her clothes, Caleb gave her a hug. After the embrace Gail kissed his forehead. 'The tragedy we have suffered is terrible Caleb, but our family would want us to live and not be brought down by their deaths'

Caleb took a deep breath and nodded. Gail put her arm around him and let her cousin out of the cemetery. When they had returned to the car and dusted off the remnants of the mud from their clothes, Gail turned towards Caleb and ruffled his hair. 'Well, now that the errands are done we can go and get a huge breakfast. I hear it's someone's birthday today and we want to make sure he is well fed for the day ahead' she said with a smile.

Caleb rolled his eyes at his cousin and smiled, the trip to the cemetery had made him feel at ease. She was right, Merlyn would want him to be happy on his birthday and not sad for her, so he was going to give it his best shot.

* * *

Ben Healy sat behind the Sheriff's Station counter waiting to see if Billy managed to get out of his shift at the hospital. Gail had called him late last night asking if he would help with Caleb's birthday plans, Ben could tell from the tone of her voice that she was desperate so he agreed to help in any way he could. Lucas had not turned in to the office yet; however, he had arranged for Floyd to cover his shift so he did not think Lucas would mind if he left early. It was strange that Lucas had not arrived yet, but Ben had too much to do for Gail to worry about that just yet.

The sound of the bell above the door interrupted Ben from his train of thought and he turned to see Billy leaning against the door. 'Are you coming Deputy?' he said with a smile.

Ben got up and gave a few orders to Floyd before heading out of the building with his friend. Billy was carrying a long box and lead the way to his car down the street. 'I thought I best park away from the Station to avoid our good Sheriff, he seems to be more agitated than usual these days don't you think?' Billy said.

Ben shook his head, 'I choose not to think about what's bothering Lucas these days, it makes my life easier. Where were you last night by the way? Gail was trying to get hold of you'

For the past month Billy had been trying to suggest to Gail that it would be beneficial for them to become more intimate, he had tried taking her on romantic walks on the pier and to nice restaurants in town; however, it appeared that she would not consider him in any other way than a friend. Gail seemed to be immune to any other charm than Lucas Buck's, it was as though she had resigned herself to be with him and no one else.

When she had made it clear that she was not the type of girl to sleep around and she would not waste her time on any pointless relationship, Billy had gotten the feeling that she meant with anyone but Lucas Buck. It was a shame as he believed they could be good together, but as usual Lucas had his claws into something that he wanted.

After the last rejection she had thrown his way, Billy had found himself in Jimmy's bar with his ex opposite him. He knew if Gail had found out that he had turned towards Selena she would think he was weak; therefore, he was not going to publicize what he had been doing with his spare time when Gail was not around. He trusted Ben but he did not want to put him in an awkward position with his two friends. 'I was at the hospital' he lied, 'I took on an extra few hours to help out. Have you got everything Gail needs?'

Ben looked at his friend suspiciously, Rita was at the hospital last night and she had told him that Billy had left at his usual time. It was not for him to pry so he decided to focus on the task at hand. 'We've got everything we need, we just gotta stop off at the school'

'Brilliant, you take your car and I'll meet you there' Billy said and climbed inside his truck.

* * *

Gail had taken Caleb to his favourite breakfast place in town for pancakes and waffles, he had seemed in a better mood after their trip to the cemetery.

After the strange happenings of the previous day Gail had realised that no matter what she planned for her cousins birthday, he would not be able to enjoy himself due to the guilt and loss he had experienced last year. Caleb loved his sister dearly and needed to learn that although she may not be around him anymore, there would always be a place he could go to talk to her. The trip could have gone either way, she was happy that Caleb had taken something positive from it.

While her cousin was finishing the last of his waffles, Gail went outside to call Lucas. She had been trying to reach him all morning, but he was not picking up. She knew he would not have forgotten his sons birthday, she just hoped he was not planning anything inappropriate.

Caleb came out of the restaurant and stood by her side. 'Is everything ok cous'?'

Gail smiled and put her phone away, 'Of course, just checking on a few things. Did you enjoy your breakfast?'

Caleb wiped a small bit of syrup from his lips, 'I wish I could have that for breakfast every morning'

'If you ate that every morning you'd likely have a heart attack by age 12' Gail put her arm around his shoulder and laughed.

They both walked towards Gail's car and got in. 'So what now?' Caleb asked.

'What now indeed' Gail said and started the engine.

* * *

Lucas Buck strolled casually into the Sheriff's Station with a huge smile on his face at 12.00pm and was surprised to see Floyd manning the front desk. He looked around the office and was baffled when he could see no sign of his Deputy. When Floyd had noticed Lucas had walked in, he straightened up and tried to look like he was doing some work.

'I didn't know you were on shift today Floyd' Lucas said as he approached.

Floyd tried not to look nervous under Lucas's gaze, 'Ben needed to do something so we swapped shifts...umm, Gail Emory has been calling all morning for you Lucas'

Lucas nodded, of course she has. 'Did she leave a message?'

'Umm, no. Just that she would call back later'

Lucas smiled, he did not need a message to know that Gail was trying to include him in Caleb's birthday. He'd had a busy morning and decided to let her stew a little while longer before returning her call. He headed into his office and sat down comfortably in his chair.

Lucas had been trying to come up with the perfect present to give his son on his birthday and had visited 6 different stores to see if anything was suitable; however, he had decided that a store bought gift would not do the trick. After reviewing his options, he decided to swallow his pride and arranged to do something special that Caleb would not be expecting.

Lucas knew exactly what Gail had planned for Caleb today. Gail had opened his son's mind up earlier when she had taken him to the cemetery, she had done good and it made his plan that little bit easier. Sometimes he had some small doubts about the strong connection that he felt for her, but then she would do something that he was not expecting which helped put the pawns exactly where he needed them.

The sound of his telephone ringing brought Lucas out of his thoughts. Picking up the pone he smiled, 'Miss Emory, what a pleasant surprise' he said.

Gail sounded concerned when she asked where he had been, then clearly shook it off and gave him the details of where to meet her. Lucas nodded, told her he'd be right there and headed out of the office.

* * *

It was 2:00pm and Caleb was lying on the hood of the red mustang with his cousin Gail, taking in the sun. They had casually wandered around the town just talking most of the afternoon, then Gail had driven to a nice quiet spot by the river for them to relax. He was enjoying spending some quality time with his cousin, he had truly believed that she would have left after she found out what he had done to cause her coma and she did keep him at a distance for a while; however, she seemed to have forgiven his actions and it was like they had started over again.

Gail had left her car radio on and was singing along to Kris Kristofferson's 'Kiss The World Goodbye', she had told Caleb that he was her favourite artist with Johnny Cash being a close second. When the song came on the radio Gail had told him that she loved the lyrics, as she could relate and the song made her feel at peace. Caleb enjoyed seeing his cousin like this, for once it seemed like she did not have a care in the world and it made him feel at ease. He wished his sister was around to experience this feeling with him, their childhood had been scary and he would have liked her to feel at ease with him.

Caleb took a deep breath and pushed the thought to one side. He was not going to dwell on the past, he would just listen to the lyrics of the song and let them relax him. His cousin had been right, he felt like he could relate to this kind of music too and the song gave him a warm feeling inside.

'Well this might not be the best song to be listening to on your birthday son' Lucas said, leaning against a tree.

Caleb heard his cousin sigh and watched as she sat up. 'You're right, maybe 'To Beat The Devil' would more appropriate' she said with a smile and winked at Caleb.

Lucas walked forward holding his hands up in fake surrender. 'Whoa there darlin', I'm beginning to get the feeling that I'm no welcome here.'

Caleb sat up and hopped down from the bonnet, 'It's a free country Lucas, you're welcome wherever you want'

Gail stood up, playfully ruffled her cousins hair then approached Lucas. 'Where have you been?' she whispered, 'I've been trying to reach you all morning'

Lucas glanced over Gail's shoulder to see that Caleb had turned his attention to the river, then placed both hands on her hips and pulled her close. 'I also had a few errands to run today darlin', but now you have my full attention'

Gail shook her head and pushed his hands off her hips, before she could say anything else they were interrupted by the sound of car doors closing. Gail headed towards Caleb and placed her hands on his shoulders, 'We've had a lovely quiet day together, are you ready to put on your best smile and do the birthday thing for a few hours?'

Caleb let out a huge sigh and put on a fake smile. Gail laughed, 'Wow you've been watching me to much, that could rival mine! It's just a few people and I'll make it as pain free as possible'

'Lets get this over with' Caleb said as he saw people approaching.

Ben and Billy came from behind a tree with three children following. The children were all carrying fishing rod's and ran up to Caleb when they saw him, Caleb was relieved to see that it was just his friends Boon, Rose and Josh. Billy walked up to Caleb and handed him a long box, 'Here you go Champ, happy birthday'

Caleb opened the box and was thrilled to see a new fishing rod. 'Thanks Doc, I love it'

Ben approached with a large picnic basket, 'My present isn't as cool as that Bud, but I'm treating you all to some nice grub. I'm also letting you all come on a ride along later and you can be in charge of the siren.'

Caleb did not know what to say, he had not considered that anyone other than Gail and possibly Lucas would be bothered with is birthday. This was a pleasant surprise. He thanked Ben and looked towards Gail, who had disappeared but then returned pulling a brand new bicycle with a ribbon wrapped around it. Caleb ran towards her, 'Is this mine?' he asked excited.

'Well I certainly am not going to fit on it' Gail laughed and gave her cousin a big hug. 'Fishing first, then ride along with Ben, then if you have time you can test your new bike' she said.

Caleb looked around and could not see Lucas, Gail seemed to have the same thought and a concerned look crossed her face. She signalled for his friends to start setting up their fishing gear and walked towards where Lucas was stood earlier, with Caleb following closely. They both stopped in their tracks when they saw a figure walk from behind a tree. 'Doctor Matt?' Caleb said in disbelief.

Gail grabbed Caleb's shoulder tight and pushed him gently behind her. She approached her friend slowly and looked at him with suspicion. 'Matt, how did you get here?'

Lucas came from behind Matt and placed a hand on his shoulder. 'How do you think darlin'?' Lucas said flatly.

Caleb pushed past Gail and ran up to the two men. 'Lucas, this was you? Thank you, it's the best present ever!' he said and gave Lucas a hug.

Lucas was taken aback by his son's reaction and put on his best fake smile. 'This wasn't me son it was down to your cousin, I just assisted a little. He can't stay too long and he needs to stay out of sight of your friends' Lucas said but was looking at Gail when he said the last part.

Gail nodded and tried to regain some control over herself. He mind was plagued with conflicting thoughts, he had said no and had been adamant that he would not back down! She could see the anger hidden underneath the happy facade he was portraying to Caleb. She would be true to her word and make sure her old friend was on his best behaviour, the she would deal with her thoughts about Lucas later. 'Come on' Gail said to Matt and led him towards her car.

Lucas turned towards Caleb when they had left and leaned close. 'That wasn't my present son, when you're ready I want you to return to your second stop of the day'

Caleb's head was mixed up with all that had just happened and he could not think straight, he looked at Lucas in a confusing manner but Lucas just smiled. 'You'll figure it out son' and with that Lucas headed towards Ben and Billy.

* * *

Three hours had passed and Caleb was about ready to go home. He had been going between fishing with his friends and Gail's car to see Doctor Matt. Ben said he would take the children home and after saying his goodbye's to Doctor Matt, Caleb had jumped in the front seat.

When Caleb had gone, Lucas let Matt say his goodbye's to Gail and Billy then led him to his car to return him to Juniper House. Gail gave her old friend a hug and promised she would visit him soon, then shot Lucas a firm glance which suggested that he better get her friend back to his cell without incident. Gail had not talked to Lucas in the past few hours, she made herself focus on Caleb so that everything was perfect. She was happy that everything went to plan and he seemed to have genuinely enjoyed himself.

Billy had stayed behind to help her tidy away all the picnic food and empty wrappers. 'You did good Gail' he said when they had finished.

Gail smiled, 'We all did good. I couldn't have gotten through today without help, thank you' she said and stroked his arm.

Billy tried not to react to her touch, knowing that she would shut him out if he did. 'So, what do you think about Matt? I know you couldn't get him out alone and I wouldn't have thought our good Sheriff would have done it out of the goodness of his own heart.'

Gail shrugged, 'I didn't know he was going to do it, it was as much of a shock to me as it was to everyone else' She knew what he was getting at, he thought she had made a deal. She felt uncomfortable under his questioning, so decided to turn the tables. 'Where were you last night? I must have called you about 5 times'

Billy stopped and turned towards her. 'Why do you care?' he said more defensive than he had intended.

Gail narrowed her eyes at her friend, she did not like his tone or that he seemed to feel the need to hide something from her. 'It was just a question friend. I don't care what you do, it just would have been nice if my friend was around when I needed help. Thankfully Ben stepped up'

'Clearly Ben wasn't the only one who gave you help, did you arrange the Matt thing with the good Sheriff last night?' Billy said, resenting her insinuation that he was not a good friend.

Gail laughed, 'Wow, jealousy doesn't suit you Doctor' she said and walked towards her car. She was not in the mood for a confrontation, not when her mind was all over the place. 'Call me when your paranoia backs down' she called back to him, then got into her car and drove home.

* * *

Caleb had turned on the siren all the way to Boon's house, then decided to give it a rest when Josh and Rose were dropped off home. Ben was shocked Caleb did not get out of the car when Rose was dropped off at the Boarding House; however, he had told Caleb that he would take him wherever he wanted to go, as long as he could get to the hospital by 8:00pm.

Now that the festivities had died down, Caleb could gather his thoughts and think about what Lucas had said. It did not take long for him to figure out that the second stop of the day was the cemetery. Ben seemed reluctant to leave Caleb when he pulled up, but he reassured Ben that Gail was meeting him here and then cursed himself for being such a good liar when Ben had left.

Caleb entered through the same way that him and Gail had earlier, then headed towards their families graves. He smiled when he saw the pink orchid on Christine Emory's grave, then wondered why Gail had not planted anything on her fathers grave.

'That's none of your concern' said a faint voice in the distance.

Caleb turned around sharply, but could not see anyone close to him. He headed in the direction of the voice and stopped at his sisters grave. When he surveyed his surroundings again and could not see anybody in the cemetery, he knelt down in front of the white orchid he had planted. 'I've had a nice day Merly, it's a shame you couldn't be there'

'I'm always with you Caleb' he heard a faint voice say, then he jumped up and looked around.

'Merly?!' he shouted, but nothing else was said. A single tear ran down his face and his head slumped down, he really thought that he had heard his sister; however, he was just all alone as usual.

Caleb felt a jolt of pain through his mind and heard a familiar voice in his head tell him to concentrate. He held his head high when he realised the voice was Lucas. 'Concentrate son' he heard his father say, so he closed his eyes and tried to picture his sister.

Gail had told Caleb that they had neglected their family for too long and she was right. Maybe Merly had been here all along and he just had not allowed himself to see her.

'I love you Caleb' Merln Temple said allowed, then smiled when her brother turned towards her and looked straight into her eyes. 'Well, I wondered how long it would take for you to notice me'

Caleb was taken aback by the image of his sister, this was the perfect end to his birthday and it was all thanks to Lucas.

Merlyn knew that Lucas had done something to allow Caleb to open his mind to her presence again and she would destroy their bond sooner or later; however, for now she would just let herself enjoy the time she had with her brother on his birthday.

* * *

Lucas Buck pulled up in his drive way, pleased with how the day had played out. When he had awoken this morning he had decided to focus all his attention on making this day perfect for his son, he would have preferred it if that had not meant backing down over Matt Crower and helping Merlyn Ann be noticed; however, he was sure Caleb was giving him the recognition he deserved for the acts that he had performed.

Lucas walked through his front door, threw his keys on a cabinet and headed towards the stairs. He stopped when he experienced and intrusive feeling, which meant that someone was on his property. Lucas walked back towards the door and swung it open, just in time to see Gail about to knock.

Gail jumped at the sudden opening of the door and nearly dropped the box she was carrying. 'Jesus Lucas. God forbid you wait for a knock like a normal person'

Lucas smiled, he could not remember the last time Gail had came this close to entering his home. 'Just keeping you on your toes darlin', what can I do you for?'

Gail took a deep breath, 'You can invite me in for a drink, or would you prefer for us talk at your door Sheriff?'

Lucas stepped out of the way and signalled for her to come in. He was astonished when she actually walked into his home, after she had made it clear that she would not set foot in this place again. He watched her as she walked straight through his office and living room to his kitchen, he could hear her pottering about so he unbuttoned a few of his shirt buttons and decided to make himself comfortable on the couch.

Gail appeared from the kitchen with a tray of sandwiches, a bottle of red wine and two glasses. It was clear to him that she felt uneasy being in his home, as she stumbled and nearly dropped the tray of sandwiches that she was holding. Lucas was used to Gail being confident, he did not like the weakness she was portraying. He got up from where he was sat, walked over to her and took the tray from her hand. 'Well this is a surprise darlin', it's nice to see you finally making it across the threshold'

Gail let him take the tray, approached the couch and sat down, with Lucas following close behind her. 'Well you backed down with Matt, it was only fair that I backed down with this'

Gail felt agitated in this room, this was where the horrific encounter with Caleb had started and she had vowed to herself that she would never to come here again. She could feel a dark presence here, as if she was being watched by someone or something. Gail laughed out loud, she could not believe how paranoid she was being. Clearly the weeks events had taken a toll on her.

Lucas had opened the bottle of wine and poured her a glass, she took it and drank the full glass of wine quickly. 'Slow down darlin', I don't want you passing out on me just yet'

Gail shook her head, 'When have you ever known me not to be able to hold my drink Sheriff?' she said and held out her glass for a refill.

Lucas smiled and refilled her glass, there she goes using his title again. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder and pulled her slightly so she would lean back with him on the couch. Gail let herself be pulled backwards, she was here now so she might as well make the most of it.

Lucas was watching her intently. 'So, what brings you to my abode this late in the evening Miss Emory? I thought you would have been with your cousin'

Gail lounged comfortably next to Lucas and took another sip of her wine. 'Caleb's fine. We've both had a busy day together, he needs to be able to relax now and take it all in. Did you get Matt back to Juniper ok?' she asked.

Matt Crower was still a touchy subject for Lucas. It had taken all of his self control not to drive the car off a bridge with him inside, especially when he could see the smug look on the good Doctors face; however, that would result in him damaging his car. Had he been driving another car he might have actually done it and been rid of the man once and for all.

He noticed Gail was watching him patiently waiting for his answer, so he smiled reassuringly, 'That good ol' Doctor of yours got back to his cell safe and sound, no incident's to report of Miss Emory'

Gail watched Lucas carefully, she could not tell what game he was playing and she did not like it when he was closed off like this. Usually there was a hint of what he was planning; however, he was just sitting next to her drinking his glass of wine, not making a move. Gail shook her head and looked around the room, 'I hate this place' she said candidly.

'A different kind of man would take offence at you insulting his home darlin'' Lucas said and took another drink of his wine.

Gail took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves, she still had the uneasy feeling of being watched in this room. She found herself beginning to wonder about what horrors these walls had seen, she had gotten the feeling that the incident with Caleb was not the only bad thing that had happened here.

Lucas was watching her intently without making a move, he could sense how uneasy she felt but he also felt something stopping him from comforting her. This house had been in his family for years, he felt connected to it and sometimes it was as though something would be calling to him. He believed that he and Gail were meant to be together in this house; however, he could not force her to stay with him, she had to make that choice willingly.

Lucas saw that Gail had finished her second glass of wine and refilled the glass again. She looked at him with an all knowing glare but took a sip from the glass anyway. Getting up from her position on the couch, she put her glass down on the table close by and picked up a sandwich, then began to walk around the room. Lucas continued to watch her with curiosity as she stopped by his book about the occult, he usually locked his specialist books away; however, he had not expected company tonight. She ran her fingers across the cover and turned to the first page, 'Can you actually understand any of this or is it just for show?' she asked.

Lucas stood up and walked behind her, he placed his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him, then glanced at the page over her shoulder. 'You shouldn't concern yourself with these type of things darlin''

Gail leaned back into him, 'And you should?' she asked sweetly. Lucas felt his pants beginning to tighten around the crotch and took a deep breath to inhale her scent.

Gail took hold of his hand and slowly turned around. 'You should eat something' she said and handed him the sandwich she was holding.

Lucas took the sandwich and kept looking directly into her eyes, 'I can think of something better that I'd like to eat' he said and watched her move uncomfortably under his gaze. He could sense the familiar feeling she got in her stomach when she got aroused.

Gail took a deep breath, trying to control her urges. She had told herself that she came here to talk with Lucas and to find out why he had backed down with Matt; however, she should have known that this is how the conversation would end.

She took a step back from him to regain her composure and surveyed the room again, she did not like it here and she wanted to leave. She glanced at the living room door but felt something deep down urging her to stay. She could feel Lucas's eyes on her, watching to see what her next move would be so she took the sandwich from his hand and began to eat it. 'If you're not going to eat this, then I will' she said and began to move around the room again.

Lucas smiled, she had not moved towards the door like he had expected, he could tell that she was torn. He decided to take a step back and returned to the couch, picking up another sandwich as he walked past. Gail walked to the cabinet that he kept his specialist books in and tried to open it, she looked at him with disappointment when she realised it was locked.

'My books are worth a lot of money darlin', I can't have them just anywhere in case thieves break in' he said and took a bite of the sandwich.

Gail turned around and walked back towards the couch, 'As if any thief would dare break into this place Sheriff' she said as she sat back down and picked up her glass of wine.

Lucas shrugged, 'You did'

'I'm not a thief...besides, I'm not scared of you' she said as she leaned back and took a sip of her drink.

Lucas moved closer to her, until his face was only inches away. 'Maybe you should be'

Gail felt the familiar warmness between her legs and felt her body ready to betray her. She ran her free hand up his thigh and smiled when she heard his inhale of breath. 'Does it bother you that I'm not?' she asked.

Lucas placed his hand on her hip and began to move it down to the warm spot between her legs, he inhaled deeply when he heard her slight moan. 'On the contrary Gail, it's refreshing to have someone around that doesn't fear me'

Gail closed her eyes at the sound of her name on his lips, she placed her glass on the table beside the couch and ran her thumb across his lips. Lucas smiled at the touch and leaned forward to kiss her. 'Wait...' Gail said and pulled back, 'Not here'

Lucas placed his glass on the table beside him and cupped her face gently in his hands, 'You need to get over this Gail' he said trying to hide his frustration and let his hand travel down her body to the warm spot where it had previously been.

Gail shook her head slowly and lay down on the couch. She hated how torn she was when she was with him, but she could not resist his touch any longer. She reached for his waste and pulled him on top of her, then they kissed passionately. She ripped his shirt open and pulled it over his head, then Lucas stood up to unbutton his pants. He knelt down to pull her skirt and panties down, then began kissing her from her foot to the top of her thigh. Gail let out a loud moan when his lips and tongue met the warm spot between her legs, she could feel the triumphant smile on his lips while he nipped and licked her.

Before she could reach her release, she pushed him off and stood up. After taking a sip of her wine, she smiled when she saw Lucas watching her closely.

'Something I said darlin'?' he asked.

Gail put the glass down and gently pulled him to a seated position on the couch, she knelt down on top of him and allowed him to remove her blouse. She ran her hands down his chest and stopped for a few seconds to play with his caramel brown chest hair. Lucas placed both hands on her hips then slowly moved upwards until he reached her breasts, he squeezed gently then moved to her back and removed her bra. Gail let out another load moan when he took her breast in his mouth, she took his face in her hands and kissed him forcefully, as he gripped her back and pulled her close.

Lucas moved his hands back down to her hips and pulled out of their embrace, leaving Gail to look down at him confused. 'Keeping to respecting your wishes Gail, if we carry on like this I'm not gonna be able to stop myself from throwing you down on this couch and taking you'

Gail laughed and bit her lip, 'You think you could take me if I didn't want you to?' she asked seductively

Lucas ran his hand through her hair and pulled slightly, watching her curiously, 'You don't think I could darlin?'

Gail raised both hands to his hair and pulled hard, she felt a strange sensation come over her, 'You couldn't if you tried...Sheriff'

Lucas shook his head at the challenge, lifted her up and pushed her beneath him on the couch. Before he could restrain her hands she slapped him, moved her hips and manoeuvred herself on top of him. Using all her strength to restrain his hands, she leant down and gently bit his chin. This sudden wave of strength was invigorating and she could feel how hard Lucas was underneath her.

Lucas let himself be controlled, knowing he could overpower her if he really tried. Her sudden behaviour was exciting to him, if this is how she acted when he let the good Doctor out for a few hours he'd consider allowing it more often. 'Well it looks like you win this round Gail, what do you want for your reward?'

Gail smiled triumphantly, she felt great. Before she could think about what she was doing, she reached down and positioned herself above his manhood, 'I want you inside me Lucas' she said and sat down onto him.

Lucas let out a large moan and pulled his hands free with ease, he grabbed her hips and pushed himself deeper inside her. Gail continued to move more vigorously with his assistance and they both called out when they came together. Without pulling out of her, Lucas carefully picked her up and lay her down on the couch so he was on top. He continued to push in and out of her, he could not stop himself. He had dealt with the frustration of not being able to take her for far too long, he would make the most of her surprising mood.

Gail gripped his back and felt her nails dig into his skin, she reached down to his behind and pulled him deeper inside. 'Don't stop' she whispered and his movement became faster and harder. She bit his shoulder when their climax came for the second time and tasted his blood in her mouth. Lucas kissed her passionately, then slowly pulled out of her and reached for his shirt to wrap around her naked body.

Lucas sat up, put on his boxer shorts and pulled her to his chest. Gail did not like the empty feeling that she now had, but she pushed that to one side when the realisation of what she just allowed hit her. She stood up, found a tissue to clean herself then started looking for her clothes. Lucas stood up and gently grasped her face, 'Don't do this Gail, we did noting wrong' he said.

Gail pulled away slightly, grabbed his shirt so it covered her body and tried to smile reassuringly to hide the uneasy feeling that had suddenly crept over her. 'Lucas I'm a big girl, I'm fine. I just need some fresh air is all.'

Lucas nodded, took off his boxer shorts and handed them to her, then put on his pants. Gail put on the boxer shorts, then followed him through the house and out onto the porch. He handed her a glass of wine and she walked over to the porch rail to look out into the garden. She needed to process what had just happened, not only had she willingly entered this evil place she had let him inside her. Hell, she had instigated the whole thing! She could not even blame Lucas for what had happened.

'You're over reacting...' Lucas said reading her thoughts as he approached her from behind, 'No one is to blame for anything darlin', you did nothing wrong'

Gail took a deep breath, closed her eyes and shook her head, 'Stop saying that Lucas and leave me alone'

Lucas took a step back and Gail instantly regretted snapping at him, after all she had come to him and she needed to own her choices. Turning around she stroked his face with her hand, 'I love this garden' she said.

Lucas smiled and pulled her close to him, 'I know darlin', my home can't be so bad if it has a place like this for you to get lost in can it?'

Gail turned towards the garden again and leaned her back into his chest, letting him wrap his arms around her. He was right, how could she hate a place but then find solace in a part of it too? She started to doubt her way of thinking about this place, maybe it was not so bad. She would stay with him until morning and then tackle her dilemma at the start of a new day.

-The end-


End file.
